It may come as a surprise how beneficial a health and safety course can be both to existing employees and job seekers. Every workplace has a legal requirement to provide qualified health and safety personnel, and if it comes down to you and another candidate for a job, the expense saved on that particular piece of training might well nudge the decision in your favour. Of course, it’s a logical thing to have under your belt, too: you never know when it may be of use.
There are several areas of safety that can be studied. Depending on the size and nature of a work place, there are legal requirement in place in Ireland governing first aid, stress management, manual handling and fire safety, so these are perhaps the primary ones to consider. First aid courses are readily available through organizations like the Irish Red Cross – www.redcross.ie or the Order of Malta – www.orderofmalta.ie. Depending on the course, you might spend an afternoon learning the basics of ABC first aid and the recovery position, or you might go into much more depth, qualifying to deal with a wide range of worst-case scenarios. Of course, the longer and stronger the course, the further it’s going to get you in the workplace, though it’s always worth checking the reputation of an institution and its certification, too.
Manual handling is only necessary for jobs in which you’ll regularly be lifting, and teaches how to do so with a minimal risk to yourself and those around you. In fire safety, you’ll quickly learn how to identify the source of a fire, and so respond in an appropriate way, while ergonomics deals with issues relating to how your body is positioned, and how this may cause repetitive strain or joint problems, as well as how best to avoid them.
It’s even possible to train in these areas without leaving your home (or office), with plenty of online courses available in traditional safety issues like chemical awareness, manual handling and food safety as well as more diverse and specialist topics like office ergonomics and bullying. There are a number of good places to go for online options (which, while generally less respected and – inevitably – less practical, do teach the basics well, and are much more affordable), such as Phoenix Safety – (www.phoenixsafety.ie) or Safety Ireland (www.safetyireland.com).
Many workplaces have more obscure issues to deal with, too, and it’s possible to train (or even bring in a consultant such as occupational health and safety services in issues like noise pollution, chemical exposure and even how to build your entire office within the legal restrictions, should you need to.
Health and safety courses have developed largely off the back of legislation requiring companies to comply with regulations, but there’s no reason for individuals or companies not to make use of the necessary qualifications to self promote, push staff to think in a different way, or just to make their workplace a safer place. After all, if something goes wrong, first aid training could literally be a life saver!
Health and Safety Courses with CMI College
Choosing between health and safety courses in Ireland depends largely on your desired career trajectory and current experience. The OTHM Level 6 Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety with Communications and Management Institute aligns with an Irish NFQ Level 8 qualification (the industry standard for those aspiring to become Safety Officers). It provides the technical depth required to apply for Certified IOSH membership (CertIOSH) and transition into dedicated safety roles.
In contrast, the OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Occupational Health & Safety Management aligns with a postgraduate NFQ Level 9 qualification. It is specifically tailored for those moving into senior management, focusing on the leadership needed to drive continuous health and safety compliance and improvement.
Both pathways offer a significantly faster route to qualification than traditional university degrees, taking roughly a year of part-time study to complete. If you are unsure which level matches with your professional background, you can explore career pathways through the CMI School of Environmental, Health and Safety.
Contact the CMI Admissions team directly for personalised guidance on choosing a suitable health and safety course.
Use the following link to view more Health and Safety and First Aid Courses on Findacourse.ie